Westchester Broadway Theatre stages 'Rent'

Six fast-paced, eight-hour days.

That's all the cast and crew had to prepare before opening "Rent" Thursday at Westchester Broadway Theatre in Elmsford, N.Y.

Patricia Wilcox is directing the show about a group of young starving artists who, despite poverty and illness, learn to fall in love and find their voices.

For this particular rendition of the Tony Award best-musical winner, Wilcox said her "focus is to bring the story to life in a clear comprehensive way and to move people.

"I think I look first to the storytelling; from there you start to have your own ideas sprout, and from that you want to find the heart of a piece."

While it's been said that "Rent" appeals to a younger demographic, Wilcox thinks otherwise.

"A lot of people say it's for a younger audience, but I think if you're really listening to the story, it's for every age. What is interesting is `Rent' is more about a community of artists than individuals, and I think that can appeal to every generation."

There is some mature language, but Wilcox believes the musical's plot and message resonate with all ages.

Despite the tight rehearsal scheduled, the cast and crew were up to the challenge, under Wilcox's guiding hand.

"I started out as a choreographer, which I still do," said Wilcox, who has directed shows from "Aida" to "Little Shop of Horrors." "I have assisted directed in the past, and in recent years I have started directing as well. It was a natural progression for me."

Wilcox has worked in Europe as well as the United States, and not only in theater. She's done everything from commercials to television, and even created numbers for ice skating gold medalists in the 2006 Winter Olympics.

When she was asked to direct "Rent" for Westchester Broadway Theater, she was excited at the chance.

"I had just done `Hair' on the West Coast and what I love about `Hair' and `Rent' is the passion," she said.

Wilcox emphasized that theater needs to move people or amuse them and that "Rent," in particular, fits that bill.

"When Jonathan Larson wrote it, he poured his passion into the piece," she explained. "It's for everybody, but I think that it has a sensibility for anybody striving to do what they want."

Westchester Broadway Theatre is at 1 Broadway Plaza, Elmsford, N.Y. Thursday- Sept. 25. $62-$75, plus tax, for dinner and show. 914-592-2222; www.BroadwayTheatre.com.